Youth Mental Health in India: Policy Gaps, Accessibility, and the Role of Educational Institutions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Youth mental health has emerged as a critical public health and social work concern in India, a country home to the world's largest adolescent population. Epidemiological evidence indicates that mental disorders affect approximately 7.3 per cent of adolescents aged 13-17 years, while suicide has become one of the leading causes of death among young people, with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) documenting a steady rise in student suicides over the past decade. Despite the passage of the landmark Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which grants a legally enforceable right to mental healthcare, implementation remains uneven, and the mental health workforce continues to be severely constrained, with India recording fewer than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people. This paper, prepared from a social work perspective, examines the scale of the youth mental health crisis in India, critically analyses gaps in existing policy and legislative frameworks, identifies structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing care, and evaluates the emerging role of educational institutions-schools, colleges, and universities-as frontline sites for prevention, early identification, and referral. The paper draws on secondary data from national surveys, government reports, and peer-reviewed literature. It concludes with recommendations for strengthening school- and college-based mental health infrastructure, integrating medical social workers into educational settings, and aligning policy implementation with the lived realities of Indian youth.
Author: Mareena Thomas
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223471721